William Horning

  General Notes:

William Horning was born in Montgomery Co. Pa. 16 Feb. 1801 and received a common-school education in his native state. Being of a mechanical turn of mind he learned the millwright trade and in many ways showed that he was possessed of rare ability in this direction. He married in his native state, 12 August 1826, Hannah Price, who was descended from one of the oldest of the German Baptist ministers of the country.

William , about 1830, purchased a farm in Franconia Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa. of the Estate of Abraham Detwiler. After about 10 years he sold the farm and removed to Montgomery Co. Ohio, near New Lebanon. He was a mechanic of more than ordinary ability. He made the cog wheels in the mill on his father-in-law's farm out of wood. At his farm in Ohio, a model of a grain drill is shown from which the modern drills are and were copied. William Horning was the inventor of force-feed, grain-drill and steel-tooth hay-rakes: He held patent no. 19,420 issued on February 23, 1858 for this. He also invented a horse hay-rake, a horsepower for threshers and a two-cane-mill, beside several minor implements. He was both skillful and industrious, and was known far and wide for his integrity of character and for his genial dispositiion. He was one of the early advocates of the temperance cause and among the first who undertook the supression of the
use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage in his neighborhood.

The William Horning farm has been in the family since the land was purchased around 1840. It is located 1/2 mile north of New Lebanon, Ohio, at 633 North Clayton Road, Perry Twp. The brick house as completed in 1848 and the brick barn in 1850. Both buildings were constructed by William and his sons.
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The land that William purchased was the northwest quarter Section 35, Range 4, Which had originally been deeded to George Holler from the United Stated government on July 30, 1812. This ownership can be seen on early county maps.
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The house, carriage house, and barn, are of soft brick which was fired on the land. There are nine rooms, a full basement and attic, and five interior fireplaces in the house. A shallow well in the basement and a cistern in the backyard provided the primary sources of water in the early days of the house. The windows are all twelve-pane, some of which have original glass. The inside doors between rooms are the cross and Bible design. Each room has narrow, shallow, built-in cupboards with paneled doors. The basement has a summer kitchen with a large fireplace and hook used for butchering.

At one time eighteen buildings were on the ground. Of the structures built by William Horning, only three remain, these being the house, the barn and the carriage house.

William married Hannah Price, daughter of Rev. John Price and Mary Rinehart, on 12 Aug 1826 in Pottstown, Montgomery Co. PA. (Hannah Price was born on 7 Mar 1808 in Coventry Twp. Chester Co. PA, died on 4 Apr 1885 in New Lebanon, Montgomery Co. OH. and was buried in Eversole Cemetery--Perry Twp., Montgomery Cty, OH.)